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• Map | Florida's 'Winter' Parks

Florida's top spots for family camping

To reserve campsites at state parks, see www.reserveamerica.com .

Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County :

County park with 238-site, full-service campground that seems to have been created with families in mind. Amenities include picnic tables, grills, fresh water, electricity, washers, dryers, sanitary disposal stations, modern restrooms, showers, play areas and a camp store. The park has more than 7 miles of waterfront recreation, including two fishing piers, nature trails, paved bike trail and a canoe trail. Campsites, $30 to $35. 727-582-2267; www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm .

Amelia Island: Old Florida charm

In those fresh and heady days of new romance, a getaway is something of a forbidden pleasure. Almost any place will do. Later, when the ink on the marriage announcement has long dried, romance becomes a matter of absence: Absence of kids, office politics, social commitments, bill-paying, the appointment with the Terminex man. But turning off the worry spigot isn't automatic. A place of ease - of unhurried moments, natural beauty, a graciously preserved past - can help slow the mind.

That is why The Husband and I headed for Amelia Island, a snappy 30-minute drive from the Jacksonville International Airport, itself a quick hop from South Florida.

Amelia is historic but modern, natural but convenient. This means options enough to please both partners, but few enough to forestall arguments. The major dilemmas: Where to stay (B&B, upscale resort, motel or cottage rental.) Where to dine: White tablecloth scene or a beachside burger. What to do: Kayaking, cycling, boat tour, horse riding on the

Kayaking the Keys

We are paddling offshore of Big Pine Key in the Lower Keys. Calm water reflects the azure sky, forming a Caribbean-like mirage. Beneath our hulls, a blue-green field of water frames darker shapes. The surface ripples like some giant's taut muscular skin. With each stroke, we fall into a living tapestry of sky and water.

In the virtual aquarium beneath our boats, we've seen a Southern stingray the size of a car hood on the silty bottom near the Barracuda Keys. Sharks schooled around us on the back side of Little Pine Key. In the Dusenbury Grottos, tiny starfish cling to sponges on red mangrove roots. A skinny fish tailed across the flats off Dreguez Key, its prey firmly lodged in vice-grip jaws. And minutes after this display of raw nature, a small seahorse, a most delicate creature, swam past.

Every day can be extraordinary in the Keys. From mangrove-lined creeks around Key Largo to Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring above the remote Dry Tortugas, these shallow tropical waters possess wonders-natural and

Park-by-park highlights of the Grand Circle tour

The classic Southwestern Grand Circle tour loops through seven national parks and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

It took us 14 days to visit the parks, which included 2 ½ days on Lake Powell at Glen Canyon. We drove 1,803 miles. All of these parks hit temperatures in the 90s and above in the summer -- sunscreen and water in abundance, and a hat or other head covering are musts.

Each park has its own entrance fee, but if you're planning a multi-park trip, it makes more sense to buy an America the Beautiful annual pass for $80, which gains admission for the passholder and everyone in the vehicle at federally operated recreation sites.

Quick Trips: Birders, art lovers flock to Sanibel

Sanibel Island has worked hard to keep its reputation for natural, and it has paid off through the years. More than half of its 33 square miles is devoted to refuge and preserve lands, and eco-tourism is big business.

This October, Sanibel's conservation-mindedness hits the jackpot when one of the nation's most prestigious art competitions comes to Florida for the first time. J.N. ''Ding'' Darling National Wildlife Refuge along with BIG ARTS hosts the judging for the 75th Federal Duck Stamp Oct. 8 through 14. The public is invited, and islanders are expecting flocks of wildlife artists, art collectors, birders and nature-lovers.

The Ding Darling Refuge is largely responsible for establishing the island's environmental-friendly attitude and strong eco-tourism. Opened in 1945, it encompasses 6,400 acres of mangrove wetlands and hardwood uplands on and around the island.